Automatic band-winding machine

ABSTRACT

An automatic band-winding machine for a plurality of bands comprises winding heads, threading units having cutting blades, prewinding mechanisms, a band-deflecting station and a conveyor belt for carrying away the ready rolls. The winding heads, which are adapted to be driven through bevel gears and friction clutches are arranged opposite one another in one plane about a horizontal axis and are rotatable about this axis through 180*. Gravity clutches are provided for so that only the winding heads above the horizontal plane through the common axis are connected to the drive.

nited States atent r 91 ,lores et a1.

[ 1 Dec. 11, 1973 AUTOMATIC BAND-WINDING MACHINE [75] Inventors: Willi Jores, Opladen; Franz Hoifacker, Langenfeld; Bernhardt Kreit; Helmut Lehmann, both of Leverkusen; Herbert Hardenbicker, Bergisch Gladbach, all of Germany [73] Assignee: AGFA-Gevaert Aktiengesellschaft,

Leverkusen, Germany [22] Filed: Feb. 10, 1972 [21] Appl.No.: 225,154

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Feb. 13, 1971 Germany P 21 06 865.5

[52] US. Cl 242/56.2, 242/569, 242/76 [51] Int. Cl B65h 35/02, B65h 19/26 [58] Field of Search 242/562, 56.9, 56.4,

242/76, 56 R, 67.1 R, 67.3 R

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Douglas 242/564 2,459,536 l/1949 Nordberg .1 242/76 3,642,221 2/1972 l'lellemans 242/56 R FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIQNS 298,518 7/1954 Switzerland 242/569 Primary ExaminerGeorge F. Mautz Assistant ExaminerEdward J. McCarthy Art0rneyArthur G. Connolly et a1.

[57] ABSTRACT An automatic band-winding machine for a plurality of bands comprises winding heads, threading units having cutting blades, prewinding mechanisms, a banddeflecting station and a conveyor belt for carrying away the ready rolls. The winding heads, which are adapted to be driven through bevel gears and friction clutches are arranged opposite one another in one plane about a horizontal axis and are rotatable about this axis through 180. Gravity clutches are provided for so that only the winding heads above the horizontal plane through the common axis are connected to the drive.

11 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTED DEC 1 1 I975 SHEET 1 BF 2 PATENTEUUEB 1 1 ms 377K998 saw 2 0F 2 LLLGJLI AUTOMATIC BAND-WINDING MACHINE This invention relates to an automatic bandwinding machine for winding a plurality of bands or webs into rolls. Automatic band-winding machines of this kind consist of winding'heads, threading units with cutting blades, prewinding mechanisms, a band-length correcting guide, a band-deflecting station and a conveyor belt for carrying away the ready-wound rolls. I

Automatic band-winding machines are required to wind a number of bands or webs simultaneously into rolls with a certain final diameter. The basic component of a machine such as this are the rotating winding heads. The winding heads are preceded by threading units by which the bands are brought up to the winding cores or winding tubes fitted onto the winding heads. The cutting blades are also arranged in the vicinity of the threading units, cutting through the bands when the roll or package reaches its required diameter. The prewinding mechanisms provide for satisfactory winding of the initial turns onto the winding core or winding tube. A length-correcting means is provided in the band guide so that the tapes have travelled the same distance by the time they reach the winding stations. A band-deflecting station turns the bands out of the horizontal plane into the vertical plane. Finally, the readywound rolls are carried away on a conveyor belt.

Roll-cutting and winding machines are known in which the cut bands are wound onto two horizontally superposed winding shafts fitted with cardboard tubes. The arrangement of these winding shafts has the disadvantage that it takes as long to equip the shafts as it does to cut and wind an approximately lOO-metre long band roll. In addition, the individual bands have to be stuck with adhesive strips to the cardboard tubes during prewinding. During prewinding of the paper rolls, the bands have to be checked for edge-true prewinding, the bands of the completed rolls have to be cut through by hand and the rolls removed by hand, for which purpose they have to be pushed individually over the winding shaft.

In other knownautomatic roll-cutting and winding machines, the cardboard tubes are automatically deposited, the bands automatically stuck on, the rolls automatically wound and cut. Unfortunately, machines of this kind are not suitable for winding sensitive papers, for example photographic paper, because hot glue is used to stick the bands to the cardboard tubes. Finally, there are also roll-cutting and winding machines which function on the principle of supporting or contact rollers. The cardboard tubes are picked up unsupported by shafts by two rocker arms and driven through contact rollers. The disadvantage of this arrangement lies in the drive of the rolls. Since in this case the drive is transmitted directly from the contact roller to the roll or package, there is a danger of scratching and kinking so that, in the case of photographic papers, wastage is are arranged opposite one another in one plane along a horizontal axis rotatable through 180.

The bevel gears used to drive the winding heads are advantageously provided with a gravity clutch so that only the upper winding heads are linked to the drive.

In one particular embodiment of the invention, the threading units are pivotal in the horizontal plane and are provided with a common cam drive so that, as the diameter of the package increases, they are always directed tangentially of the package diameter. The threading units are adjoined by specially designed prewinding mechanisms. According to a further development of the invention, they consist of a hollow cylinder with a threading slot and pressure roller opening which is vertically displaceable, the arrangement being such that in the working position the hollow cylinder is inverted over a cardboard tube acting as winding core onto the winding head and in the rest position is removed from the winding heads.

The conveyor belt used to carry away the readywound rolls is advantageously coated on one side with a velours into which the deposited rolls sink. This prevents the rolls from being unwound again.

One embodiment of the invention is described by way of example in the following with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 diagrammatically illustrates the guide of the bands between a length cutting unit and the winding heads.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the winding heads, the threading unit and the prewinding mechanism.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional plan view taken through FIG. 2 along the line 3-3.

A horizontally orientated web 1 coming from an offwinding station (not shown) is cut by a conventional longitudinal sheet cutter 2 into a plurality of bands 3. The bands are then turned from the horizontal plane into the vertical plane between horizontally arranged roller 4 and vertically arranged rollers 5 (banddeflecting station). A length correcting means 6 is provided between the roller 4 and the rollers 5 for bands 3 to 3 A length correcting means 7 is provided for the bands 3 to 3-,and is arranged behind guide rollers 8. The length correcting means 6 and 7 ensure that the bands 3 travel substantially the same distance from the longitudinal sheet cutter 2 to the winding heads. The ready-wound rolls of one batch thus come from the same length of the web 1. This is important when it comes to the removal of quality samples because, in this way, any given roll from one batch is representative of a certain length of the web 1. In addition, the bandlength correcting means ensure that glueing points in the web I reach the winding heads at the same time and are also simultaneously wound up. The band is then guided over drafting rollers 9 and through threading units (not shown) to rolls 10. After a certain diameter has been reached, winding is stopped and the rolls 10 are deposited.

The winding heads, the threading unit and the prewinding mechanism are shown in FIGs. 2 and 3. The rolls 10 are wound onto cardboard tubes ll which act as winding cores and which can be pushed onto a winding head 12. The winding head 12 is provided with a pneumatic retaining mechanism (not shown) for holding the cardboard tubes 11. All the winding heads 12 are arranged opposite one another in one plane along a main winding shaft 13 and can be turned through 180 about this axis. The drive by which the winding heads are rotated is central, being transmitted through bevel gears 14 mounted on differential gear cages 14a, and friction clutches 15 to the upper and lower winding heads. The bevel gears 14 are equipped with gravity clutches 16 so that only the upper winding heads can be driven. The principle of these gravity clutches 16 is based on the fact that the flow of power from the drive is guided through iron wheels which can be axially dis placed under their own weight along the winding headshafts. At the centre they are joined to these shafts by tongue and groove joints. Small pins are arranged on the plane surfaces of these iron wheels, being designed to engage in elongated holes in other wheels fixedly connected to the drive. If then the differential gear cages 14a and winding heads 12 are turned through 180, the iron wheels are axially displaced under the effect of gravity and the pins release or engage the drive wheels (16a engaged, 1617 released).

The threading unit 30 is shown in FIG. 2 (side elevation) and FIG. 3 (plan view). It consists essentially of upper and lower guide rails 17 forming upper and lower boundaries to the band guide, and of small rollers 18 which rest on the plane surfaces of the bands 3. At one end of the threading unit are two full-length rubber rollers 19, at the other is a band cutter 20 which cuts through the bands 3 after the required roll diameter has been reached.

All the threading units are pivotal in the horizontal plane and are controlled by a common cam drive 32 in such a way that, as the diameter of the package increases, they are always directed tangentially of the package diameter. In this way, the bands can be delivered exactly to the package.

Before the bands 3 are prewound onto the winding heads 12 which are fitted with cardboard tubes 11, the so-called prewinding mechanisms are brought from the rest position into the working position. In the working position, the prewinding mechanisms are inverted over the upper winding heads 12. In the rest position, they lie outside the turning range of the winding heads 12. The prewinding mechansim consists essentially of a hollow cylinder 21 comprising a threading slot 22 and a pressure roller opening 23. The internal diameter of the hollow cylinder 21 is approximately 6 mm greater than the external diameter of the cardboard tubes 11. In the opening 23, a feeler pressure roller 24 rests on the still thin package.

During prewinding, the ends of the threading units are situated exactly in front of the threading slots 22. When the ends of the bands 3, initially situated in the cutters 20, are moved forward by the delivery rollers, they are pushed through the threading unit into the hollow cylinder 21. Here they are deflected in such a way that they turn around the rotating cardboard tubes 11 and are pushed by the feeler pressure rollers 24 between the cardboard tubes 11 and the oncoming end. After three to five turns, the bands are firmly prewound onto the cardboard tubes 11. The feeler pressure rollers 24 which are now driven by the hands 3 probe the diameter of the package which at this stage is still small and, after about five to eight turns, cause the prewinding mechanisms to be returned electropneumatically by device 2411 to their rest position. As winding continues, the roll 10 increases its diameter until it reaches the required end value. At the same time, the threading unit follows up continuously through the cam drive in such a way that the bands run onto the rolls 10 without any kinks. The object of the band-end pressure rollers 25 is to ensure that the ends of the bands are held firmly on the completed package.

Whilst the rolls 10 are being formed at the upper winding heads 12, the ready-wound rolls 10 on the lower winding heads are deposited onto a conveyor belt 26. Deposition is carried out by releasing the pneumatic retaining means in the winding heads. To prevent the rolls 10 from being damaged during deposition, the conveyor belt 26 is raised beforehand to just beneath the rolls. Thereafter the conveyor belt 26 is lowered to its original position and the lower winding heads reequipped with new cardboard tubes 11.

The conveyor belt 26 is coated on one side with a velours 27 of such a texture that the deposited rolls l0 sink in to an extent which stops them from unrolling.

What we claim is:

1. An automatic machine for providing a plurality of rolls of wound bands comprising a supply of relatively wide band material, a row of parallel cutters operatively associated with said supply and engaged with said relatively wide band for slitting it into a plurality of relatively narrow bands, an array of winding devices corresponding in number to said narrow bands, a movable threading and guiding unit operatively engaged with each of said winding devices for threading and guiding the end ofa narrow band onto each of said winding devices, a cutter on each of said threading and guiding units for severing said band after a predetermined length has been wound onto a roll upon said winding device, an array of supporting and deflecting rollers between said rollers and each of said threading and guiding units for supporting and guiding a predetermined length of said narrow bands from said feed rollers to each of said threading and guiding units, each of said winding device having a motion-transmitting device, a pair of heads for carrying roll cores extending from opposite sides of said motion-transmitting device for alternate disposition in alignment with said threading and guiding unit and a discharge station, said motiontransmitting device having drive means for rotating said winding heads when disposed in line with said threading and guiding units, indexing means on said motion transmitting device for successively rotating said heads from alignment with said threading and guiding unit to said discharge station, a winding starting casing operatively arranged for disposition about each of said winding heads when they are aligned with said threading and guiding units for guiding the starting end of said bands upon said cores when disposed upon said winding head, translating means connected to each of said winding starting casings for engaging them about said winding heads carrying a core to start the end of a band to be wound on said core and for removing said winding starting casing after a winding has been securely started upon said spool, and said threading and guiding unit being movably mounted to freely guide said winding upon said core in an increasing diameter.

2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the threading and guiding units are pivotal in the horizontal plane and are pivoted so that they are always directed tangentially of the roll diameter, whatever the diameter of the roll.

3. A machine according to claim 1 wherein each of the rolls has a tubular core each winding starting casing comprises a vertically displaceable hollow cylinder having a threading slot and a pressure roller opening therein, the cylinder being inverted over the tubular core disposed upon the winding head in the working position and being removed from the winding head in the rest position at said discharge station.

4. A machine according to claim 1 wherein a conveyor belt is arranged at said discharge station and said conveyor belt is coated on one side with a velours into which deposited rolls are adapted to sink.

5. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the threading and guiding units are disposed vertically over the winding heads, said motion-transmitting means comprising a differential gear the pair of winding heads being mounted on opposite sides of the differential gear disposed below the threading and guiding unit, rotating means connected to the differential gear for disposing one of the winding heads operatively adjacent the threading and guiding unit and the other below, a gravity clutch connected between each winding head and the differential gear whereby the winding head disposed above the differential gear and operatively adjacent the threading and guiding unit is operatively connected for transmitting rotation between the differential gear and the upper winding head and for disconnecting the lower winding head from the differential gear drive.

6. A machine according to claim 5 wherein each of the rolls have tubular cores and each of the winding heads includes a releasable clutch for engaging the cores to wind the bands or webs about them in the upper position and for releasing them in the lower posi tion to discharge the wound rolls.

7. A machine according to claim 3 wherein the pressure roller includes automatic means for actuating the axial removal of the hollow cylinder from the winding head and partially wound rolls to permit the rolls to be subsequently wound to a final size larger than the hollow cylinder.

8. A machine according to claim 5; wherein each of the threading units includes guiding rollers and friction drive rollers.

9. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the motion-transmitting means are each connected on a common shaft.

10. A machine according to claim 9 wherein said motion transmitting means each comprise a differential gear.

11. A machine according to claim 1 wherein said arrays of supporting and guiding rollers are constructed and arranged to substantially balance the paths of groups of said bands supplied to said threading and guiding units. 

1. An automatic machine for providing a plurality of rolls of wound bands comprising a supply of relatively wide band material, a row of parallel cutters operatively associated with said supply and engaged with said relatively wide band for slitting it into a plurality of relatively narrow bands, an array of winding devices corresponding in number to said narrow bands, a movable threading and guiding unit operatively engaged with each of said winding devices for threading and guiding the end of a narrow band onto each of said winding devices, a cutter on each of said threading and guiding units for severing said band after a predetermined length has been wound onto a roll upon said winding device, an array of supporting and deflecting rollers between said rollers and each of said threading and guiding units for supporting and guiding a predetermined length of said narrow bands from said feed rollers to each of said threading and guiding units, each of said winding device having a motion-transmitting device, a pair of heads for carrying roll cores extending from opposite sides of said motion-transmitting device for alternate disposition in alignment with said threading and guiding unit and a discharge station, said motion-transmitting device having drive means for rotating said winding heads when disposed in line with said threading and guiding units, indexing means on said motion transmitting device for successively rotating said heads from alignment with said threading and guiding unit to said discharge station, a winding starting casing operatively arranged for disposition about each of said winding heads when they are aligned with said threading and guiding units for guiding the starting end of said bands upon said cores when disposed upon said winding head, translating means connected to each of said winding starting casings for engaging them about said winding heads carrying a core to start the end of a band to be wound on said core and for removing said winding starting casing after a winding has been securely started upon said spool, and said threading and guiding unit being movably mounted to freely guide said winding upon said core in an increasing diameter.
 2. A machine according to claim 1, wherein the threading and guiding units are pivotal in the horizontal plane and are pivoted so that they are always directed tangentially of the roll diameter, whatever the diameter of the roll.
 3. A machine according to claim 1 wherein each of the rolls has a tubular core each winding starting casing comprises a vertically displaceable hollow cylinder having a threading slot and a pressure roller opening therein, the cylinder being inverted over the tubular core disposed upon the winding head in the working position and being removed from the winding head in the rest position at said discharge station.
 4. A machine according to claim 1 wherein a conveyor belt is arranged at said discharge station and said conveyor belt is coated on one side with a velours into which deposited rolls are adapted to sink.
 5. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the threading and guiding units are disposed vertically over the winding heads, said motion-transmitting means comprising a diffErential gear the pair of winding heads being mounted on opposite sides of the differential gear disposed below the threading and guiding unit, rotating means connected to the differential gear for disposing one of the winding heads operatively adjacent the threading and guiding unit and the other below, a gravity clutch connected between each winding head and the differential gear whereby the winding head disposed above the differential gear and operatively adjacent the threading and guiding unit is operatively connected for transmitting rotation between the differential gear and the upper winding head and for disconnecting the lower winding head from the differential gear drive.
 6. A machine according to claim 5 wherein each of the rolls have tubular cores and each of the winding heads includes a releasable clutch for engaging the cores to wind the bands or webs about them in the upper position and for releasing them in the lower position to discharge the wound rolls.
 7. A machine according to claim 3 wherein the pressure roller includes automatic means for actuating the axial removal of the hollow cylinder from the winding head and partially wound rolls to permit the rolls to be subsequently wound to a final size larger than the hollow cylinder.
 8. A machine according to claim 5; wherein each of the threading units includes guiding rollers and friction drive rollers.
 9. A machine according to claim 1 wherein the motion-transmitting means are each connected on a common shaft.
 10. A machine according to claim 9 wherein said motion transmitting means each comprise a differential gear.
 11. A machine according to claim 1 wherein said arrays of supporting and guiding rollers are constructed and arranged to substantially balance the paths of groups of said bands supplied to said threading and guiding units. 